Volunteers’ time was like city getting 42 full-time employees last year

Published 6:00 pm, Friday, January 29, 2010

In the last year, a group of tireless workers has cleaned miles of space in parks, waterways and streets in Pasadena. They worked in almost every department in the city and assisted with every special event hosted. Some even risked their lives.

In total, the hours this group spent are equivalent to a year’s work by about 42 full-time employees.

But perhaps most amazing of all is the fact that this group was never paid a dime for that work.

That’s because everyone in that group was a volunteer, coordinated through the city of Pasadena’s Volunteer Pasadena program, who donated their time and efforts to help improve the community around us. Their impact has been tremendous; in fact, in the last fiscal year, volunteers saved the city an estimated $1.7 million.

“We are so appreciative of our volunteers,” Volunteer Pasadena manager Lesley Peckham said. “Every day, they are going above and beyond all of their other commitments and giving their time to work out in the community and make a difference in people’s lives and in our city.”

One of the biggest impacts the volunteers have made is on the environment. Through Volunteer Pasadena numerous environmental programs, volunteers can sign up to regularly clean a park, street and/or waterway. They spend just a few hours of time removing and bagging any trash and debris that can reasonably be handled and then submit a short report. Because of these programs, more than 58 streets, nine parks and more than 67,000 feet of waterway are regularly cleaned throughout the city.

Volunteer Pasadena also offers the Walk the Water program, in which participants submit reports about waterway conditions, and the storm marker program, through which the city’s storm drains are marked with reminders about what not to wash down them.

Volunteers also help staff a wide variety of departments through the city. In the past year, workers have helped in the animal shelter, library, City Hall lobby and recreation centers, to name just a few. Of course, one of the main departments in which volunteers work is the Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department, which remains the largest single municipal volunteer fire department in the United States.

In addition, volunteers have helped run the city’s special events, including everything from the Christmas Tree Lighting and 4th Fest to basketball tournaments and family dinner nights at various recreation centers. They also do community service projects, like help build fences for those who could not afford to repair their post-Ike damage.

“Our volunteers are another thing that makes our city great,” Mayor Johnny Isbell said. “We are fortunate to have people like this helping out, especially during times of need. I thank each and every one of them for their selfless dedication to the city.”

The Volunteer Pasadena program is always looking for anyone interested in volunteering in almost any area. Volunteers can sign up for a one-time shift at a special event or for an ongoing program, or anything in-between.

“No matter what your schedule is like or what your interests are, we can find the perfect way for you to help out,” Peckham said. “We would love for as many people as possible to be part of any or all of these programs.”